Reunification a Catalyst for German Tourism

PHOTO:Brandenburg Gate became a Wall and then became a gate again. (Courtesy of German National Tourist Board)

As Germany reflects with considerable satisfaction on the 25^th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, tourism has emerged as one of the more pleasant surprises. “Reunification has been a boon to all Germans,” said Iris Gleicke, a member of the German Parliament and Federal Government Commissioner for the New Federal States and for SMEs and Tourism. “The harmonization is clearly visible in the modernized and, in many places, carefully restored city centers, the improved transport routes and an internationally competitive medium-sized business sector in eastern Germany. Huge potential and major opportunities exist in the rural regions there. It is therefore important to further strengthen the tourism infrastructure.”

“Since 1993, when inbound tourism statistics were first recorded for the country as a whole, the number of overnight stays by foreign visitors in Germany has almost doubled. A total of 34.1 million additional overnight stays have been made by visitors from abroad, with 11.8 million of those in the new federal states in eastern Germany,” said Petra Hedorfer, CEO of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB). Destination Germany excelled itself in 2013, with the number of overnight stays by international visitors surpassing the milestone 70 million mark for the first time, increasing by 4.5 percent.

A campaign from the GNTB is putting the anniversaries of the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification at the heart of its international sales and marketing activities for 2014 and 2015. “25 years on from the fall of the Wall, we are presenting Destination Germany from 25 exciting new perspectives,” said Hedorfer. The campaign highlights cultural attractions and landscapes in every region. Multimedia content exploring 25 perspectives of modern Germany is available here.

The GNTB is also posting related video clips on social networks. Other activities planned include around 30 press conferences, press highlight tours and PR events in relevant source markets, such as the Netherlands, Spain, Hungary and Japan. To ensure a smooth flow of communication, the GNTB is providing comprehensive information on the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification, which is available in 30 languages from the press section of its website.